Derry Girls – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Derry Girls

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

show2018

76%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Hilarious Irish teens navigate the Troubles with big hair, bigger attitudes, and surprisingly educational laughs.

99%

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Derry Girls

show

TV-MA, 2018

76%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Hilarious Irish teens navigate the Troubles with big hair, bigger attitudes, and surprisingly educational laughs.

99%

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99%

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Screenwise Verdict

Here's the deal: Derry Girls is genuinely excellent television that happens to be about teenagers. It's not for younger kids—the language alone disqualifies it—but for high schoolers and up, it's gold.

The show manages to be hilarious while teaching actual history, which is a rare feat. Your teen will learn more about the Troubles from these six-episode seasons than from most history classes, and they'll be laughing the whole time. The characters are self-absorbed teens but written with real affection and depth.

The 99% critic score isn't hype—it's earned through sharp writing, perfect comedic timing, and genuine heart. Yes, there's swearing and drinking and sexual references, but it's all in the context of a show that ultimately celebrates friendship, family, and finding joy despite everything.

If your teen is 15+ and you're okay with realistic teenage behavior (language, mostly), this is actually a great watch. You might even want to watch together—it's that good.

Age Fit

Best for high schoolers (15+) and adults. The language, sexual references, and historical context require maturity, but for older teens it's both entertaining and genuinely educational. Adults love it too—this isn't kids' stuff that adults tolerate; it's legitimately great television.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Set during the Troubles in 1990s Northern Ireland, the show follows five teenagers navigating school life with warmth and humor. While it models genuine friendship and family bonds, it includes frequent swearing, sexual references, and teenage drinking that push against pure wholesomeness. The characters are fundamentally good-hearted, and the show celebrates resilience and community, but the language and some content are decidedly not family-friendly.

Imaginative

The show's genius lies in finding comedy in a specific historical moment—teenage life during a literal armed conflict. It's sharp, witty, and original in its perspective, blending coming-of-age tropes with political backdrop in ways that feel fresh. The writing is clever and the characters are distinct, but it's not particularly imaginative in the sense of world-building or creative exploration—it's grounded realism with excellent comedic timing.

Safe

Common Sense Media rates it 15+, and that tracks. There's frequent strong language (including f-bombs), sexual references and innuendo, underage drinking, and while violence from the Troubles is mostly background, it's present (bombings, military presence). No graphic content, but the mature themes and language mean younger kids stumbling upon it would encounter plenty of inappropriate material. It's a sitcom, so nothing traumatizing, but definitely not safe for family viewing with younger children.

Enriching

This is where Derry Girls shines. It's genuinely educational about a complex historical period (the Troubles) while being hilarious. Viewers learn about Northern Irish history, sectarian conflict, and 1990s culture organically through the story. The show offers real insight into resilience, friendship across divides, and finding joy in difficult circumstances. It's also just brilliantly written comedy that demonstrates how humor can be a survival tool. Plus, the 99% RT critics score and 8.5 IMDb rating reflect its quality.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Legitimately one of the funniest shows of the past decade—99% on Rotten Tomatoes isn't a fluke
Sneakily educational about Northern Irish history and the Troubles without being preachy or heavy-handed
Shows resilient, genuine friendships and family bonds amid real adversity
Sharp writing that respects teen characters while being hilarious about their self-absorption
Cultural touchstone that captures a specific time and place with authenticity and heart

⚠

What to Watch For

Language is rough—frequent swearing including f-bombs, so not for younger kids or sensitive households
Sexual references and innuendo throughout, plus some underage drinking scenes
Background violence from the Troubles (bombings, military checkpoints) might need context for kids unfamiliar with the history
Irish accents can be thick—subtitles genuinely help and might be necessary for full enjoyment

Conversation Starters

"What did you know about the Troubles before watching this? Want to learn more about what was actually happening?"
"The girls find humor in pretty dark circumstances—when have you used humor to deal with something hard?"
"How do you think being a teenager in the 90s was different from now? (No phones! Landlines! Dial-up!)"
"The show deals with religious and political divisions—do you see any parallels to divisions today?"

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